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Sunday, 12 May 2013

Would the steak pie be more Jekyll or Hyde?

There are times when it can take a good few days to think up a witty, clever or punderful play on words to include in the title of a pie review on pierate. This, of course, was not one of them! For anyone who delves into the pie reviews on the Web’s premier pie reviewing resource will know that if there’s anything we Pierateers like almost as much as our pies, it’s a good play on words. So the following paragraph just writes itself, to be honest.
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Steak Pie at the Jekyll and Hyde Pub

I guess the very reason you’re reading this review is determine whether the steak pie I ate at the pub is more Jekyll or Hyde in nature. For, as we all know, there can be some strange cases of things being called pies but which are clearly not pies, or have a split personality of looking great on the menu but rather disappointing on the plate. However the attraction of a “World of π” section on the menu was very appealing and gave me strong hope for a winning formula to my pie selection. Had they found the right potion? Well there was nowhere for this pie to Hyde when it came to being reviewed by the Pierateers. I went for the Cheeky Pie – Chuck steak, Jaipur Ale and shallot.

So first impressions were very good. The pie came out very well presented, was fully encased in a golden and crisp pastry and was a reasonably sized pie for a £8.50 meal in the centre of Birmingham. The pie crust was flaky and light pastry, well complemented by the tender steak pieces within the pie and a mix of vegetables, including the shallots. The meat was nicely spread throughout the pie and while there could have perhaps been a slightly stronger taste to the gravy (it was not immediately obvious what ale was included), that did not detract from the fact that the Jaipur ale complemented the pie filling wonderfully. While I would have hoped for a slightly deeper pie with a bit more steak, I can’t deny that what I ate was one of the best pies I have had. The pastry was crisp and not too thick, the steak lovely and tender and the filling complemented the pastry delightfully. On the occasion of Kavita’s leaving do, and a lovely night out, there was certainly nothing strange about this pie and it left me feeling more Jekyll than Hyde (though come to think of it, I could murder another pie...)

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